Waiting
by Collie Parkillo
Summary: Sometimes Adrian can't stand to be alone. [fradrian]


Adrian knew Franziska's phone number by heart; she'd stayed awake memorizing it many nights in a row when she couldn't get to sleep. And now she punched it in for what felt like the millionth time that night, each button she put her finger on pressed down with more conviction an anxiety.

The message that came after the steady ringtone was Franziska telling her to leave a message if she had business to do with her, then a beep. Adrian let it leave a message, but somehow she couldn't open her mouth to say a word. If she did, it probably would have just been Franziska's name over and over and over again.

The snow continued to fall heavily outside, and Adrian noticed from the living room window that the sun was starting to set. Five o'clock. Five. It was five fifty. Franziska had said she'd be home at five. Almost an hour ago. Adrian felt panic rising in her throat, and swallowed it. She was alright. Franziska was alright. She'd be home.

But her attempts to calm herself down were of no avail. Her fists were balled against the blue carpeted floor and she felt her heartbeat resounding in her ears and no matter how hard she squeezed her eyes shut, she couldn't block it out. And then came the images. She thought she saw Celeste's corpse hanging from the ceiling, her eyes empty and her arms hanging limply from her sides.

Then there was Juan, Juan who she had never loved, sitting in the chair she and Franziska often sat together in because of them could somehow fit. The nights she'd spent with him made her feel numb and drained of all happiness. She saw him smiling, laughing at the tears that came to her eyes at the mention of Celeste's name as though her death had been a joke. Adrian's heartbeat quickened, and the world began to blur in front of her.

That was when the hot, salty tears started flowing out of her eyes. Adrian did not like crying, she preferred to do it quietly when no one could see. But as she dug her fingernails into the carpet she felt that she couldn't stop her small frame from shaking with sobs. She was so stupid, so stupid, so silly, so pathetic. Her head was still pounding as though someone was striking her head every time she thought of the past.

She curled into a ball, her face pressed against the floor. Tears fogged up her glasses and she felt them pressed against her nose as she curled tighter and tighter into a fetal position. Like a child. She was but a child, a silly child, she would never be the successful woman she wanted to be if she cried like a child.

Adrian didn't know how long she laid there, unable to stop crying. The constant pounding of her head and her loud, ragged breathing blocked out the sound of the door opening and Franziska hanging up her coat and taking off her gloves. "Adrian?" she called. Adrian could hear the other woman's feet on the floor as she came closer to her. "Adrian."

The next thing Adrian felt were warm arms wrapped around her and Franziska murmuring softly in German. All she could catch was "ich liebe dich" and "fürche dich nicht," neither of which she could understand. Most people made German sound terrifying and harsh, but when Franziska spoke it to her it sounded like the most gentle, soft thing she'd ever heard.

Franziska gently placed kisses along her hair and the top of her head, continuing to hold her and whisper in German. Eventually, her sobs subsided, and Franziska pulled her up into her arms. _"Liebling,_ there was traffic because of some fool's car getting stuck in the snow on the way home. My phone was simply off. I am fine. You are fine. It will be alright."

Adrian sniffled. "I'm s-sorry…I'm...pathetic."

Franziska shook her head, squeezing Adrian tighter. "Shh, shh, no. You are not. I know plenty of pathetic people, and you do not have a pathetic hair on your head,_ liebling."_ Adrian buried her head in Franziska's chest, feeling her breathing begin to slow down. "I promised I would never abandon you, did I not? Von Karmas always keep their word."

Franziska held her like that for awhile, and Adrian eventually felt herself drifting off to sleep. The last thought she could recall before sleep took her was that while Franziska was known as a terror in court, Adrian could not see why anyone could be scared of the Franziska she knew that while she could prevent the fear and sadness inside her from rearing its ugly head, she would always chase it away when it came.

* * *

**i believe fradrian has been bumped up to second favorite ace attorney ship**

**this was based off of a headcanon some anon sent me; credit for the idea goes to said anon i suppose. **


End file.
